Pedaling for healthy kids

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About the SFT

The School Food Tour was a 5,000+ mile solo bicycle tour that focused on educating and empowering youth to create healthy changes at home and in their schools. While on the road Sara Salo, MPH, advocated for healthy school meals and sustainable food production.

Oregon

Prompted a pit stop at the Burl Gallery just outside of Cave Junction. I was greeted by the charming proprietor exercising his knees on the front porch who invited me to explore his magical property complete with gorgeous artwork, an engaging potter and whimsy around every corner.

Thanks to a hot tip from the friendly crew at the Country Folks Restaurant in Selma, Oregon, I took a very worthwhile detour to the Siskiyou Field Institute in the Illinois Valley.

It’s funny how seemingly disparate events interconnect in our lives each day. After a chance meeting months ago, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation became a sponsor of the School Food Tour. Fast forward to the present, and as I pedaled through the hills of Oregon as a Team Duke athlete, my interest was immediately drawn to a trivia question written on the chalkboard in a local cafe:

“Who was John Wayne’s college roommate?”

This query spurred a conversation with the waitress about John Wayne in which I learned that he frequented a ranch only 2 miles away. Directions in hand, I headed out to explore this old pastoral haunt of my benefactor.

There was a John Wayne tribute on display.

A beautiful setting between field and forest.

I bet this kitchen has put out some delicious meals.

Stunning vistas of the Illinois Valley from the patio.

The Institute provides education in nature.

A huge thank-you to the friendly staff for an impromptu tour. For more information about the programs and location of the Siskiyou Field Institute, visit their website.

I would like to present you with a challenge: The next time you hop on two wheels, consider why you ride. What are the merits of pedaling a bicycle? Freedom, happiness, fitness, transportation, speed, fresh air, strength; those are a few words that pop into my mind. But what about YOU? What words do your brain conjure when you roll your shiny pedal-powered steed down your driveway?

The beauty of bikes is that everyone is rides for a different reason. In one month I will start pedaling for healthy kids. I see my 6,000 mile route as an opportunity to share this message with the countless communities that I will visit along the way. But you don’t have to travel all the way across the country to positively impact the lives of yourself and others.

I encourage you to simply make cycling a conscious act. Smile. Be courteous. Take a moment to appreciate the wind in your hair or the goosebumps on your arm as you speed down that first, chilly hill. Invite a friend to join you. If you allow your love of riding to shine through others will sense your enthusiasm. You may even inspire a stranger to air up their tires and try their hand at riding once again.

Ride for a cause. Ride for health. Ride for joy. Ride towards the future.